Shocking truth revealed as HALF of the British public loses faith in police

THE police have lost the trust of half the people, a new poll revealed last night.

In response to the statement “I trust the police”, just 50 per cent said they agreed while 26 per cent actively disagreed, according to the ComRes survey for ITV.

The findings come after controversies involving the police in recent months, including claims they lied over the “plebgate” affair and anger over the shooting dead and inquest of suspected gangster Mark Duggan.

A jury found earlier this month that Duggan was lawfully killed when he was shot by armed officers in Tottenham, north London, in August 2011, sparking riots in cities across England.

But his family claimed he was “executed” by officers and criticised the verdict as “perverse” because the jury also concluded he did not have a gun.

The poll of 2,079 people found most (57 per cent) want to see guidelines tightened so officers can only use deadly force if they have personally seen the suspect hold a weapon. Yet views are mixed over whether more forceful policing should be embraced.

A third said officers are too quick to use force on suspects, whereas nearly half (43 per cent) disagreed.

The Tory MP at the centre of “plebgate”, Andrew Mitchell said a Royal Commission could be needed to examine how to restore trust in the police. “We need to make sure that the police are honest and we need to make sure that the citizen is safe,” he said.